Boat hull drain assembly



Dec. 6, 1966 D. GRUBB 3,289,625

BOAT HULL DRAIN ASSEMBLY Filed April 21, 9 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mi/fan D. Grubb A Harm-y,

Dec. 6, 1966 M D. GRUBB BOAT HULL DRAIN ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 21, 1965 Mi/ian 0. Grubb United States Patent 'ice 3,289,625 BOAT HULL DRAIN ASSEMBLY Milton D. Grubb, Wytheville, Va., assignor of one-half to N. Stanley King, Wytheville, Va. Filed Apr. 21, 196-5, Ser. No. 449,807 Claims. (Cl. 114183) This invention relates to a novel and useful boat hull drain assembly and more specifically to a drain assembly for plugging a drain hole formed through a lower portion of a boat hull.

In recent years smaller pleasure boats have been constructed or manufactured with drain openings formed through lower portions of the hulls thereof for the purpose of draining Water entrapped within the hulls such as rainwater and water utilized to clean the inside of the boat when the latter is out of the water. In addition, these lower drain openings may also, in most instances, be utilized to drain water from the bilge of a boat or hull when the hull is disposed in the water and moving at a reasonable rate of speed. If the drain opening with which the drain assembly is operatively associated is formed in the lower portion of the transom of a boat and if that boat is moving forwardly through the water with sufficient speed to prevent the ambient water from flowing into the hull through the drain opening, water disposed within the hull will readily drain out of the hull.

Most manufacturers of small boats provided with drain openings supply the purchaser of the boat with a radially expansible plug for the drain opening which may be manually withdrawn from and sealingly secured in the drain opening. However, this manually operable type of drain plug requires that the owner or operator of a .boat have access to the interior of the hull immediately adjacent the drain opening. Access of this type is not always feasible inasmuch as some boat hulls are provided with flooring members beneath which the bilge is disposed and accordingly, the radially expandible plugs which must be manually inserted or removed may not be readily used inasmuch as some adjacent portion of the flooring of the boat hull must first be removed to provide access to the drain plug.

It is therefore the main object of this invention to provide a boat hull drain assembly including a drain plug for plugging a drain opening in a lower portion of the boat hull and means for inserting and removing the drain plug from a remote location.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a boat hull drain assembly in accordance with the immediately preceding'object and including means for yieldingly urging the associated drain plug from a position plugging the corresponding drain hole.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a drain assembly in accordance with the preceding objects and including means, operable from a remote location, for overcoming the means yieldably urging the drain plug from a position plugging the corresponding drain opening and withdrawing the drain plug from that opening in order that water within the associated hull may drain therefrom.

A further object of this invention is to provide a boat hull drain assembly including means adjacent the drain plug for positively locking the drain plug within the drain opening so as to prevent inadvertent operation of the remote control for the drain assembly to withdraw the drain plug from the drain opening.

A final object of this invention as specifically enumerated here is to provide a boat hull drain assembly in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that 3,289,625 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a boat hull having the drain assembly mounted therein and with portions of the boat hull being broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate the manner in which the drain assembly is mounted within the boat hull;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the remote control portion of the drain assembly with portions thereof being broken away and shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane passing through the center of the drain opening of the boat hull and the adjacent portions of the drain assembly;

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 7-7 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 8--8 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinally vertical sectional view of the boat hull illustrated in FIG- URE l of the drawings and showing a modified form of boat hull drain assembly operatively associated with a drain opening formed through a lower portion of the transom of the boat hull.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of boat hull including a pair of opposite sides 12 and 14 interconnected at corresponding rear ends by means of a transom 16 and at their lower longitudinal edges by means of a bottom 18. The bottom 18 has a drain opening 20 formed therethrough and the boat hull drain assembly of the instant invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 22. The assembly 22 includes a flat and generally circular mounting plate 24 having a plurality of arcuate and circumferentially spaced slots 26 formed therethrough. The bot-tom 18 has a plurality of mounting studs 28 secured therethrough and spaced circumferentially about the opening 20. The mounting studs 28 lie in a circle concentric with the opening 20 and the diameter of the circle in which the mounting studs 28 are disposed may vary inasmuch as the arcuate slots 26 formed in the mounting plate 24 enable the mounting plate 24 to compensate for appreciable variations in the diameter of the circular pattern in which the mounting studs 28 are disposed.

A generally tubular member 30 is provided and includes three circumferentially spaced and longitudinally extending legs 32 which project from one end thereof and are provided with outturned and apertured mounting ears 34 by which the tubular member 30 is supported from the mounting plate 24, fasteners 36 being secured [through the mounting ears 34 and corresponding portions of the mounting plate 24 to secure the tubular member 30 to the mounting plate 24. It is of course to be noted that suitable fasteners 38 are threadedly engaged with the mounting studs 28 to rigidly secure the mounting plate 24 to the bottom 18.

The tubular member 30 includes a longitudinal bore 40 through which an elongated rod 42 is slidingly received. The tubular member 30 :also defines a second longitudinal bore 44 aligned with the bore 40 and through which the upper end of the rod 42 is slidably received.

The lower end of the rod 42 is externally threaded as at 46 and has a radially expansible and resilient plug 48 secured thereon and including a stop shoulder 50. The rod 42 is provided with a plurality of diametric bores 52 for removably securing therethrough a lock pin 54 which may be utilized to releasably secure the plug 48 in its fully seated position within the fitting 56 secured through the drain opening 20 by means of the outlet elbow 58. It is to be noted that the forward end of the outlet elbow 58 includes an ingress opening 60 and that the elbow opens outwardly at its rear end as at 62.

The tubular member 30 has a vertically extending and forwardly opening slot 54 formed therein and includes a pair of apertured and forwardly directing mounting cars 56 and 58 disposed on opposite sides of the slot 54. A control lever 70 is pivotally supported between the mounting ears 66 and 68 by means of a pivot pin 72. One end of the control lever 70 is received in a diametric slot 74 of special configuration formed in the rod 42 above the diame-tric bores 52 and the other end of the control lever 70 rotatably supports an anchoring pin 76 in which one end of the core 78 of a Bowden cable assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 80 and including an outer housing 82 is secured.

The tubular member 30 includes a clamp-type mounting bracket 84 which projects laterally of the upper end of the tubular member 30 and clampingly engages the outer housing or casing 82 of the Bowden cable assembly 80. The upper end of the rod 42 projects through the top wall 84 through which the bore 44 is formed and includes a diametrically enlarged head 86, between which head and the top wall 84 a compression spring 88 is disposed, the compression spring 88 being also disposed about the rod 42.

With attention now invited to FIGURES 2-4 and 8 of the drawings it may be seen that the remote control assembly of the instant invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 90. The control assembly 90 includes a control housing generally referred to by the reference numeral 92 including opposite side walls 94 and 96 between which an operating lever generally referred to by the reference numeral 98 is pivotally supported by means of a pivot pin 100. The adjacent end of the housing 82 of the Bowden cable assembly 80 is secured through an opening 102 formed in one end wall 104 of the housing 92 by means of a clamp assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 106. The end of the core 78 remote from the lever 70 is secured to the operating lever 98 by means of an anchor pin 108 pivotally supported from the lever 98 and similar to the anchor pin 76. The lower end of the housing 92 has a slot 110 formed therein through which the free end of the operating lever 98 is swingable, and it may be seen from FIGURE 8 of the drawings that the lever 98 includes a diametric blind bore 112 formed therein through which the pivot pin 100 extends. In addition, the lever 98 includes a pair of diametrically opposite radial slots 114 and 116 which extend longitudinally of and are communicated with the bore 112. The slots 114 and 116 slidably receive the opposite end portions of the pivot pin 100 and an expansion spring 116 is disposed between the inner end of the bore 112 and the pivot pin 100 and yieldingly urges the lever 98 to a lowermost position with the pivot pin 100 seated in the upper ends of the slots 114 and 116.

The free end portion of the lever 98 includes a diametrically and laterally outwardly projecting stop pin 118 which is cngageable with the downwardly opening rack gear defining members 120 and 122 carried by and extending along the lower marginal edge portion of the opposite side walls 94 and 96, respectively. Inasmuch as the lever 98 is urged to a downwardmost limit position the stop pin 118 will be normally engaged with the rack gear defining members 120 and 122. However, the lower end portion of the lever 98 may be urged upwardly by the operator of the boat hull drain assembly 22 in order to disengage the stop pin 118 from the rack gear defining members 120 and 122. Thereafter, and while the lever 98 is held in its uppermost position, the lever 98 may be pivoted as desired to seatingly engage the plug 48 in the sleeve or fixture 56 or to withdraw the plug 48 fro-m the sleeve or fixture 56.

A readily removable limit stop member 124 is also provided and seatingly engaged with the rack gear defining members 120 and 122 to limit swinging movement of the lower end of the operating lever 98 to the right as viewed in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

The housing 92 may be readily secured to the side 12 of the boat 10 in any convenient manner such as by fasteners 128 secured through the side wall 96 and engaged with the side 12 or the housing 92 may be dependingly supported in any convenient manner from the dashboard of the boat 10.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URE 9 of the drawings there will be seen a modified form of boat hull drain assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 22' which is substantially identical to the assembly 22 includes two lower supporting legs 32' and one upper leg 32. However, the sleeve or fixture 56' is secured through the transom 16 by means of a suitable nut 33, the fixture 51 also including an abutment flange 35 for co-mpressively engaging a seal 37 between the flange 35 and the transom 16.

In operation, if it is desired to remove the plug 48 from the sleeve or fixture 56, the lower end portion of the lever 98 may be manually grasped and urged upwardly so as to disengage the stop pin 118 from the rack gear defining members 120 and 122. Then, the lower end of the lever 98 may be swung to the right as viewed in FIGURE 2 of the drawings whereupon the left end of the lever 70 will be urged downwardly and the right end of the lever 70 will be swung upwardly thereby carrying the rod 42 and the plug 48 upward. After the boat 10 has been drained, the procedure may be reversed to again reinsert the plug 48 within the upper end of the fixture 56. Thereafter, if desired, the pin 54 may be inserted through the bore 52 in order to positively retain the plug 48 in its seated closed position within the fixture 56.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A boat hull drain assembly for plugging a drain hole formed through a boat hull, said assembly comprising a tubular member with means at one end adapted tosecure said tubular member to said hull with said one end aligned with said hole, a plug reciprocally mounted in said tubular member for movement between first and second positions seated in said hole and displaced inwardly therefrom, respectively, control means operatively connected to said plug and operable to reciprocate the latter between said first and second positions from a remote location, said control means including a lever pivotally supported, intermediate its opposite ends, from said tubular member for oscillation about an axis extending transversely of said tubular member and operatively connected to said plug for positive reciprocation of the latter in response to oscillation of said lever, said control means also including mounting means adapted to be positioned remotely relative to said tubular member, an operating member movably supported from said mounting means, and an elongated motion transmitting means operatively connected at its opposite ends to said lever and said operating member, said operating member comprising a second lever pivotally supported from said mounting means, said second lever being also slidably supported from said mounting means for longitudinal movement relative to its axis of rotation relative to said mounting means between two limit positions, means operatively connected between said second lever and said mounting means yieldingly urging said lever toward one of said limit positions, said coacting means being operable to retain said second lever in preselected adjusted position when said lever is in said one limit position and inoperable to retain said second lever in preselected adjusted position when said lever is in the other limit position.

2. In a boat hull provided with a drain hole, a drain assembly for selectively plugging said hole, said assembly including an elongated guide member secured at one end to portions of said hull spaced about said hole, the other end of said guide member projecting inwardly from the inner end of said hole, a plug guidingly supported from said guide member for movement therealong into and out of snugly telescoped position within at least the inner end of said hole plugging the latter, a lever pivotally supported from said guide member for rotation about an axis extending transversely thereof and including a first end portion operatively connected to said plug for reciprocating the latter in direct response to oscillation of said lever, the other end portion of said lever being exposed and spaced laterally outwardly of said guide member for manual actuation thereof if desired.

3. The combination of claim 2 including a flexible cable assembly, said cable assembly including a flexible outer tube portion and a flexible inner core longitudinally shiftable in said tube portion, means supporting one end of said tube portion from said other end of said guide member and the corresponding end of said core to said other end portion of said lever. v 1

4. The combination of claim 3 including a control for said cable assembly and therefore also said plug, said control including mounting means for mounting in a preselected position in said hull remote from said hole, a second lever pivotally supported from said mounting means for rotation about an axis extending transversely of said second lever, the other end of said tube portion being supported from said mounting means and the adjacent end of said core being secured to said lever at a point thereon spaced longitudinally thereof from said axis, said second lever and said mounting member including coacting means movable relative to each other during oscillation of said second lever and selectively releasably lockingly engageable with each other to retain said second lever in adjusted positions relative to said mounting means.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tubular member and said plug include coacting means operable to positively lock said plug in said first position independently of said remotely operable control means.

References fitted by the Examiner UN ITED STATES PATENTS 404,132 5/1889 Travis 114-198 1,037,680 9/1912 Spitzenberg 74-104 1,595,786 8/1926 Johnson 25l-210 3,217,685 11/1965 Mueller 114-497 FOREIGN PATENTS 530,555 10/1921 France.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREVJ H. FARRELL, Examiner. 

1. IN BOAT HULL DRAIN ASSEMBLY FOR PLUGGING A DRAIN HOLE FORMED THROUGH A BOAT HULL, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBER WITH MEANS AT ONE END ADAPTED TO SECURE SAID TUBULAR MEMBER TO SAID HULL WITH SAID ONE END ALIGNED WITH SAID HOLE, A PLUG RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS SEATED IN SAID HOLE AND DISPLACED INWARDLY THEREFROM, RESPECTIVELY, CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PLUG AND OPERABLE TO RECIPROCATE THE LATTER BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS FROM A REMOTE LOCATION, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A LEVER PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED, INTERMEDIATE ITS OPPOSITE ENDS, FROM SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR OSCILLATION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PLUG FOR POSITIVE RECIPROCATION OF THE LATTER IN RESPONSE TO OSCILLATION OF SAID LEVER, SAID CONTROL MEANS ALSO INCLUDING MOUNTING MEANS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED REMOTELY RELATIVE TO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, AN OPERATING MEMBER MOVABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID MOUNTING MEANS, AND AN ELONGATED MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE END TO SAID LEVER AND SAID OPERATING MEMBER, SAID OPERATING MEMBER COMPRISING A SECOND LEVER PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID MOUNTING MEANS, SAID SECOND LEVER BEING ALSO SLIDABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO ITS AXIS OF ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID MOUNTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID LIMITING POSITIONS, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SECOND LEVER AND SAID MOUNTING MEANS YIELDINGLY URGING SAID LEVER TOWARD ONE OF SAID LIMIT POSITIONS, SAID COACTING MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO RETAIN SAID SECOND LEVER IN PRESELECTED ADJUSTED POSITION WHEN SAID LEVER IS IN SAID ONE LIMIT POSITION AND INOPERABLE TO RETAIN SAID SECOND LEVER IN PORESELECTED ADJUSTED POSITION WHEN SAID LEVER IS IN THE OTHER LIMIT POSITION. 